"Someone tell me what the hells goin on down there!" Captain Patterberg spat, he tried to calm himself down with a quick sip of his coffee. Staying up wasn't really the best thing to do for a man his age. An image of the Sangheili Fleet Admiral appeared on his personal monitor.

"Captain Patterberg have your spartans given any word on their current situation?" Nira asked, his voice muffled by the planet's magnetic field disrupting some transmissions. Nira seemed agitated the word from his spec ops leader Rtun was that they had all died by the hands of the massive sentinels. But Patterberg knew that was a lie. The Spartans were making their way to finish this fight and he had faith in them, their task could be equaled to that of King Leonidas' 300.

"My Spartans and one of your spec ops are making their way to the brute cruiser." Patterberg answered. Nira's mandibles fidgeted by those words. "I suggest when they're done down there we get away far enough that when the planet implodes we aren't in the line of the fire." Patterberg said as he took another sip of his boiling coffee, something to keep him on his toes and his mouth burnt. The planet had changed, almost as if it had been split into thirds, 1/3 was pitch black and only leaving heavy smoke clouds the following area was in full ablaze, almost blinding to the eye. The remaining part of the planet was still lush and green and hopefully was the area where the spartans were.
Nira nodded and followed by his image on the monitor disappearing. If it was one thing the elites were excellent military experts, 27 years of facing their unstoppable might gave Patterberg's respect for them and nothing could ever make that become a fleeting respect.

So many lives lost, for no good reason.. Patterberg thought, his age had always bothered him, he was a soldier through and through, knowing he cant go down to help his men bothered him, always.
Sounds of incoming wounded reeled through out the Clair. Several crewmen that were attending some hardware in the bridge knew that injured marines always came first so they left to help their brothers.
Try and get me patched into the Spartans" Patterberg said to the bridges comm system manager. The man quickly typed up the codes to the spartans warthog. The signal came in but the sounds that greeted his ears were vicious.

// 03:29 January 21st, 2555 On Forerunner Testing Installation//

The pure form that had toppled their warthog was at least 20 feet tall. Grumbles of anger, sorrow, pain, ferocity, and sickness trickled its carapace. Gary knew this fight would be nearly impossible unless they somehow reached the top of the creature. The tentacles growing out of the monster swung in the air like some sort of bug was irritating it. Strange enough the flood had given the group enough time to recover, somehow Gary had a feeling some sort of intelligence had now formed within the flood on this planet.
Gary distracted the giant as he grabbed his battle rifle and began to fire at the floods face, the bullets shredded flesh but didn't cause any pain for the creature. Another wave of tentacles slashed at the three of them. The image almost seemed like an extreme version of jump rope. Ilte' finally ended the annoying predicament they were set in plunging his sword into the ground. The next swoop of the tentacles were decapitated by the energy sword.

Ilte' growled and took his blade out of the ground. "Spartans leave me here, my place is here to face this monster" he said looking back at Gary. Knowing he couldn't deny the elite his honor Gary gave his friend a thumbs up as they rushed into a breach into the cruiser's hull. The marker for the engine room was soon transferred to a map of the CCS cruiser's layout the UNSC had since the early 2540s.
Both spartans rushed through the maze of halls of the brute ship, signs of flood spreading across the surfaces. Strangely though nothing opposed the two of them. The rending halls quickly turned from the covenant violet into the disgusting flesh yellow the flood had. Gary and Linnea had experienced this sight before several times. The smell was never one to get used to, accompanied with their broken helmets without their filtration system it was nauseating. Gary tried to cover his mouth from releasing his contents onto the floor.
As they passed the prisoner cell rooms of the cruiser they had finally found the ship's crew. Brute bodies were all scattered in each corner of the cell rooms.
"Gathering the bodies to form a gravemind no doubt." Linnea said sounding smug of the scene. She quickly detached a frag grenade from her thigh and activated it, lobbing the grenade into the pile of corpses. The explosion launched limbs, scattering them across the room along with a bath of blood.

"Not even these damn hairy bimbos deserve to fall to the flood." Gary said shaking his head. "Quickly lets get this thing done, we've given the calvary enough time to return home." Linnea said leading the way.

The next room was a collapsed hangar bay, banshees, phantoms and seraphs were all totaled within the hangar. Some brutes were mangled, crushed, and entirely destroyed from the crash. One thing Gary knew was that the worse kind of crash was being in a cruiser, human or covenant would definitely fuck you up. The path that their waypoint system pointed was blocked by severed doors, enormous in size and definitely too heavy for even two spartans to push out of the way.
Linnea quickly scanned the room for some sort of tool or leverage to use to move the debris. She quickly grabbed a shaft that seemed to have been a wing of a banshee. She shoved the wing under the crack of the door and signalled Gary to push as she lifted it.

The door slowly rolled out of the way and then landed with a large bang onto the floor. The room hadn't been touched by the flood as they entered it. Only small whispers came from the dark corners. Gary pointed his rifle at one of these corners. Several grunts quivered in the corner holding each other. They were scared shitless. Linnea giggled knowing they were completely harmless but on the same level were completely useless.
Gary didn't have time to care for these grunts, so he ended their lives firing 12 rounds into the 3 or 4 of them that huddled together. They quickly dropped to the floor with a thud without a noise, their glowing blue blood leaking on the floor. The spartans quickly hustled around the corner to their left meeting several more survivors, jackals who didn't care of the moment and ignited their shields willing to face the spartans.

Gary sprinted towards the leader of the group slamming his body into the orange shield, the jackal's arms broke from the sheer force of the collision. The bird like alien screeched its arms bent like the letter L. The other 2 were greeted by Linnea's big foot to the shields, causing them to stumble, the opening grew, Linnea took the opportunity and pulled out one of her SMGs and fired into the jackals' abdomens. They're bodies didn't take it that well shredding them in half. Gary grabbed the jackal he had injured by the neck.
"I know you understand me birdface, now what I want to know is if there are any more of you bastards in the rooms?" Gary said tightening his squeeze on the fragile neck. The jackal coughed and screeched in panic as its arms were being pressed up against the spartan's clunky armor causing further pain.
"ANSWER ME!" Gary shouted at the jackal. The alien slowly nodded taking what it learned from human language it had learned. Gary tossed the jackal into the wall followed by Linnea stepping on the jackal's neck a crackle noise came from it as the last release of breath came from its mouth. Now having this knowledge of other possible tangos the spartans checked each room, clearing out each room within 10 seconds. Most of the furniture or strange protruding architecture of the covenant had been taken from the rooms to barricade the door they had just got through earlier.

A brute minor stumbled into the spartans as he rounded the corner. Before he could even give out a gasp, his throat was met with a pistol slug, ripping through every inch of him. "Damn we're good" Linnea boastfully said keeping her attention to the mission. Running low on ammo, Linnea took a carbine off the brute's body.
"I think this suits my color, don't you think?" Linnea said comparing the carbine to her armor. Gary chuckled but quickly corrected himself. The Spartans had cleared 30 rooms only meeting dead half eaten grunts and jackals. The brute must've taken control over the lower species and used them as a food source.

They were now only 2 rooms away from the engine room but the flood had found a way to grow in that section of the ship without touching the previous 30. Wall spores were uncannily abundant here. Even the strange flood wall form that had killed 252 Finite Power were also apparent. Gary warned Linnea of them, pointing them out.
"Be careful we have no way of defending ourselves of the corrosive fluid." He said as the finally reached the engine room. The room was enormous, 3 fuel rod pods that were the main power for the engine eating Helium 3 like a marine given one of the chemicals used to enhance spartans.

"So here it is, lets get close enough to start up the damn countdown shall we?" Linnea said waving Gary to throw the tool to start it. Helium 3 extract leaked from the ceiling like rain coating the spartans in a strange light blue substance like grunt blood. Almost making the room seem surreal. Linnea gave a thumbs up signaling Gary the countdown started. She quickly turned around and began to ran.
"We don't got much time, lets get the hell out of here!" she said passing Gary. Gary followed smiling, amused how enthusiastic Linnea was. They now had 29 minutes and counting to get out of the cruiser, reach their warthog and race to the extraction point where a phantom would wait for them and then leave the planet right as it imploded in on itself. No stress at all!
The two ran through the halls of the brute cruiser quicker since they had carved out a path previously. A counter flickered on Gary's broken visor, leaving 23 minutes left. Several carrier forms had entered the cruiser and blocked a hall way. "Damn, pop one and it they go out like dominoes." Gary said pulling out his pistol again. Firing several rounds into the lead carrier form.

It grunted pig like noises as each round entered its bulbous form. Finally it collapsed, beginning to inflate and erupting. The explosion of the lead carrier form launched 4 others as they exploded as well. 200 infection forms flew at the spartans intending to stab their tentacles into the spartans' spines.
Linnea used the rest of the ammo for the carbine. The green rounds ripping through multiple forms. Popping like popcorn, the spartans quickly took the brunt of the remaining infection forms shattering their shields. "Lets just go, ignore everything else!" Gary said as they ran up the ramp the carrier forms were blocking. Finally turning right they reached the hull breach they had entered before. Ilte' was no where in sight along with the gigantic flood. The warthog waited for them nose stuck in the mud.

Gary shoved the warthog out of the mud as he jumped in the driver. Only 12 minutes remained as Linnea climbed up on the gunner seat once more. "Turrets still hot" she acknowledged. Starting the engines up the flood form reappeared now with several torn sheets of skin hanging off of it. "Oh shit not you again!" Gary said looking back at Linnea to start unloading on the creature. She unleashed a barrage of rounds into the monster. But it still did nothing, Gary reared the engine and began to circle the flood form as it became more and more angered by the warthog dancing around it.

The creature collapsed several times but still got up. A gigantic arm sprouted from it side within seconds as fluids spilled out from the regeneration. "Oh now thats just wrong." Gary said keeping his foot on the floor. The arm successfully timed the warthogs next go around and slammed its arm into the dirt in front of the warthog.
The 2 spartans were once again launched from the vehicle. "Shit!" Linnea said crashing into the side of the cruiser.

// 04:35 January 21st, 2555 On Forerunner Testing Installation//

Ilte's battle with the beast bore fatigue to his body. But honor pulsed through every vein on his body, managing to stand up he could hear the spartans fighting the plague over on the other side of the ship. He had come to far to falter at this moment in time.
"No I shall not fail you Nira!" Ilte' roared into the air a burst of life threw Ilte' to his feet once more. He turned Nira's sword on for the first time, it glowed a special green he had never seen any energy sword show. This was his defining moment, he would prove to the gods, to Nira and mostly himself and his bloodline that he was worthy of legend.

He slammed Nira's sword into the brute cruiser. Following his sword into the hull as well and used it as leverage to climb the ship. Each rip in the hull screeched just like the flood. But Ilte' wanted to finish the fight. He flew up the ship with super sangheili speeds. Finally reaching a position where he could grip his feet to the surface he ran across the top to get a good position to see how the spartans were fairing.
He reached the other side soon slanting down to the ground he balanced his feet. There were the spartans trying to climb the beast as it struggled to shake them off. The Spartans were amazing to watch for that split second, firing into the beast at the same time using their weapons as stakes to climb.

Ilte' sprinted to get the right spot to launch himself onto the form. He finally reached his spot.

"DIE FOUL SCOURGE! FOR THE FORERUNNERS!!!!" Ilte' screamed as he leaped onto the flood. Landing on top of the beast thrusting both energy swords into its core. The monster quaked as it roared, screamed, shrieked as it collapsed to the ground.
"Wow, I am grateful Ilte'" the lead spartan said. Ilte' only nodded and pointed to their transport. The spartans agreed and jumped into the warthog.

"How much time do we have?" Ilte' asked looking at the spartan. "We have around 6 minutes left" he said as he reached into a container on the warthog. In his grasps were strange masks with tubes on each side.

"Given the time we have put these atmospheric oxygen masks on." he said, tearing off his green helmet as it tumbled into the mud, to be left behind. The spartans attached the masks on as a hiss of air came from the masks signaling they were working. Ilte' placed the mask on his face, although designed for human skulls it attached itself to him anyways awkwardly bending his mandibles to fit inside.
A similar hiss came from his mask as a rush of oxygen burst into his breath.

"There! The phantom awaits for us!" Ilte' pointed the dropship waited for them at a cliff. The human vehicle gain speed as it rushed towards the cliff. Anxiety spinning with the tires every second. Inside the dropship several sangheili waved them aboard. "When we get there we need to jump out!" Gary said his voice muffled by the mask he wore.
The warthog finally reached the cliff, all three of them planted their feet on their seats as it fell off the cliff. The moment seemed to take forever in a slow motion feel. Ilte' reached the dropship as a fellow brother pulled him up. The 2 spartans didn't get a good enough leap as Ilte' caught the lead spartan's hand while he held the other. The 2 dangled in a chain link type of design.

"We must flee now!" Ilte' shouted as the phantom screamed towards the skies. Ilte' was supported by the other sangheili as he held on to the spartans. They swayed in the air as the phantom tried to steady itself as it cut through the skies at speeds breaking the sound barrier. "FUUUUUCK!" Gary screamed both arms being pulled out of their sockets.
Everything went silent as the cruiser soon was replaced with an enormous explosion growing to engulf almost all of the planet. The sheer shaking of force from the explosion shattered some of the phantom's screens for the pilots and even broke off pieces of the ship. But still Ilte' endured and still held the spartans firmly in his grasp. The planet shattered into thousands of pieces the sound was deafening with foreboding wrenching sound. Rocks crashed into the phantom breaking its balance it had established.

"Brothers help me pull the spartans in!" Ilte' ordered 4 sangheili soon grasped the Spartan's hand and pulled both enormous soldiers. Ilte' collapsed to the floor and breathed a great sigh of relief, as did the spartans.
"My god that was almost too much for us to handle" Linnea joked laughing as she rested on the floor of the dropship. Soon the walls slid into place and blinded them from the view of the destroyed planet. "Alright I think we can take our masks off" Gary said releasing the hatch and taking the mask off. Ilte' and Linnea followed. "Spartans.... it was an honor to fight at the mighty humans' best and most honored soldiers." Ilte' bowed.

"Yeah it was great huh?" Linnea gaffed.

// 05:59 January 21st, 2555 On board the Thoughtless Resolve//

Nira greeted the phantom dropship personally with zealot guards at his side. The door shifted and opened. The human spartans were the first to exit. Nira saluted the warriors pounding his fist to his chest. Then followed the sangheili brothers who were already in the dropship when they picked the 3 of them up. Finally Ilte' Arcod exited the dropship. Covered in scars and armor stained with every substance the planet stored.
"My my it appears my blade did bring you luck" Nira said saluting Ilte'. Without hesitation Ilte' bowed down before Nira once more. "No no young one, I shall kneel before you, your honor is legendary in my eyes." Nira said as he knelt before Ilte' taking off his helmet. "Honor him my brothers, kneel before a living legend." the other sangheili in the room followed and knelt to Ilte'.

"I can see this is a very personal moment let us leave the room." Linnea said chilishly sneaking out of the room. Nira stood up and faced the spartans. "Lest not forget about the reclaimers." Nira said looking at the spartans, for the first time without their helmet on. They looked like any other human just covered in more scars from so many fights.

"Thank you, Fleet Admiral" Gary said giving the Nira the human salute. Linnea followed and saluted as well.

"You have proven human strength, tenacity, spirit and honor, it rivals that of our own species'" Nira continued. "I will give my word and support an alliance between our two races." He said taking markers off of his desk. "I give you the sangheili marks of honor, dignity and respect" Nira marked the spartan's armor chest plate with the symbols.
"I also thank you for ending the foul plague on that planet, although losing valuable religious artifacts." Nira said turning to other sangheili to see their reaction. No one showed anger only envy and respect towards the humans.

"We will return you to Patterberg soon, but you are welcome in the ship." Nira definitely wanted to say the Thoughtless Resolve was the first Sangheili ship to allow humans to stay without fixed laws and such. Maybe in the future sangheili children would be told stories of how The Thoughtless Resolve was the flagship of combining the forces of the humans, descendants of the holy forerunners and the Sangheili.

"If you don't mind we'll stay here in the control room until the Clairvoyance arrives." Gary said. Nira didn't mind and nodded. Returned to congratulating the sangheili warriors who fought on the planet.

Ren awoke in the medbay, she felt sore everywhere. Her leg was in a cast with several layers of biofoam healing it. She tried to remember what happened on the planet, but the stuff the doctors put in her made her mind dizzy and she couldn't think straight.

Several doctors and medics walked through the medbay with clipboards writing things down on each patient. A female medic came over to Ren's bed and began to write down on her pad. She must have been reading something off of a data file since Ren couldn't see anything she could write about around her.

"How long have I been out?" Ren groggily asked. The medic only looked at her and showed 4 fingers. "4 hours?" the medic nodded and walked off. The only image Ren could remember was the night before walking into the spartan. This sparked worries that the spartans didn't make it or were still on the planet. She tried to get out of bed but she was tucked in so tight it was almost impossible to move an inch.

A familiar voice was at her side, "So from what I see, you didn't see that much combat did ya Church?" said the voice. She turned to see it was the ODST Askerson from the night before in the armory. "What did you in?" Ren asked.

"Oh damn spiker round went right into my chest, it was 2 inches to the right of my heart and didn't hit my lungs." He said "I'm damn lucky" Ren thought the same. "What happened?" Ren asked another question. " Damn spartans we came to love so much last night blew up the entire planet, so much for a stealthy mission huh?" Askerson laughed only followed by a whooping cough he gained from the spike.
Ren smiled, she was glad the spartans made it out alive, the stories her family told seemed to be totally true. The spartans almost seemed omnipotent now to her.

"So what happened to you Church?" asked Askerson. Ren shrugged she didn't know all she knew was her right leg ached like a sunuva bitch.
"Her pelican she was on was shot down before even fighting, she was the lone survivor." a man's voice said.

"Looks like you got fans Corporal" the medic said letting in the guest. It was the spartan, out of armor in full regalia, white uniform covered in medals and ribbons. Gary took off his hat and walked over to Ren. Still extremely tall the spartan had to hunch over a bit to fit into the medbay.

"Just came in to check up on ya rook." Gary said. "Wow its an honor sir to meet you again and in different circumstances."Smiled Ren. She finally got her right arm free only to notice it too was wrapped up, her feelings must have came back as she felt her face as well was covered. "I'am burnt?" Ren asked tears welling up from the thought of what she looked like.

"Don't worry its nothing some advanced biofoam can't fix." Gary said finally kneeling down to her level. He grabbed something out of his pocket it was a shell casing. "Here I want you to have this souvenir" Gary said placing the casing on the bed in her lap.
"What is it?" Ren asked, knowing it was a casing but why? Gary got up again and placed his hat back on. "It was a casing from one of my battle rifle rounds that I shot to kill a brute chieftain. It ain't his helmet but at least its something to keep you to remember me by." Gary said saluting and then finally leaving the medbay.

Ren sighed, for some reason she felt accomplished with the mission, she felt she had done something important even though she never saw combat and her entire squad was killed. Maybe the fact she may had earned several friends out of the entire debacle was more accomplishing then fighting itself.

Whatever she felt, it almost felt like she was clairvoyant about things to come, most felt very positive, somewhat like what she felt right when Gary walked by her when she was looking out the window yesterday. Others felt dark, a lingering evil seemed present everywhere, something angry and wanting to be released. Something that could grow quickly and destroy the premonitions of good.

Ren was ready to take it on though, and this time she wouldn't fail at the fighting part this time. Along side the spartans, she felt secure and safe. Spartans were the example of undying faith and joy the UNSC needed and still needs in the future to face those unknown evils that lurked within the universe.